The horse through all its trials has preserved the sweetness of paradise in its blood. ~ Johannes Jensen

“The horse, the noblest, bravest, proudest, most courageous, and certainly the most perverse and infuriating animal that humans ever domesticated.”
~ The Lady (1987), Anne McCaffrey

Mr Courageous aka “Mojo”

7-yr-old QH gelding, sorrel with four white socks and a strip, 15.3hh

Mojo’s grandsire is Mr Conclusion, a leading sire of AQHA World Champion halter horses. Mojo was a preemie and fought very hard to live, hence the name ‘Mr Courageous’. Mojo’s sire, Predominately Mr, is an AQHA World Champion halter stallion, and Mojo’s grandsire, great-grandsire (Conclusive), and great-great-grandsire (Impressive) are all featured in various editions of the Western Horseman series Legends, which details the most influential mares and stallions of the American Quarter Horse breed.

Mojo is HYPP N/N. HYPP is a serious genetic defect found in the Impressive line. Information about HYPP can be found here. This genetic defect could be eradicated if halter horse breeders would breed N/N mares to N/N stallions ONLY. If you have a halter bred QH, chances are that Impressive will be found in your horse’s pedigree. Please educate yourself and others.

Writing and talking about your horse is similar to doing the same about your child, your new boyfriend, or your dog – the author is usually a lot more enthused about the subject than the audience. On the other hand, it’s clear to anyone who has spent any time at all around horses that each one is an individual, with a very distinct personality. Observations about horses by their owners are usually both highly anthropomorphized and notoriously subjective, colored by the whims, fancies, and lofty dreams held dear to the owner’s heart. The following, I admit, are no exception.

A few observations about Mojo:

Mojo is exceptionally curious, especially about man-made objects. He almost never spooks at anything having to do with humans. Preemies are often over-handled and as a result, have a kind of over-familiarity with humans and their (from a horse point-of-view) eccentricities. This can lead to: one) a very assertive (if not downright pushy) personality, two) an unusually high amount of self-confidence, particularly where humans are concerned, and three) a deep-seated belief that their opinions and desires hold just as much weight as the human’s, if not more. In essence, they really aren’t at all intimidated by humans and sometimes give off the feeling that they don’t actually consider themselves to be all that different than humans to begin with. It’s hard to explain but unmistakable with a horse like Mojo.

You have to raise your energy before Mojo will raise his own, both on the ground and in the saddle. If he’s going to work, by golly, you are too. Also, if you are just a passenger, he will immediately step up to become the boss, but he might not mention it to you until you’re headed off in a direction you had no intention of going. On the other hand, if you are consistent right from the start (and I mean from the moment you arrive at his stall) he will follow you through hell and back. This is a horse that seems to really grok the idea of partnership, but he expects an equal amount of effort and focus from you. Not unreasonable, really.

Mojo’s never met a horse he didn’t like, and even when his sentiments aren’t reciprocated, he’ll slowly but firmly continue to woo the other horse into a friendship. He’ll almost always succeed in the end. Mojo’s also never met a human he didn’t like, but if you treat him unjustly, he’ll let you know.

A few weeks back we had some serious storms, and a lot of flooding. While all the other horses stood in their stalls, looking out at the mud of their paddocks with disdain, Mojo was out as soon as the rain stopped, hopping in puddles and playing in the mud like a 10-yr-old boy. Outdoor is where it’s at, whatever it is, and whatever it is, Mojo wants to be a part of it.

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[…] with a knee injury. Since I was initially on crutches and couldn’t drive, my visits with Mojo were few and far between, when either my mom or my lovely boyfriend took pity on me and drove me to […]